When quick fixes won’t work
You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies… - Psalm 23:5
A little boy was
home with his mom and dad one Saturday afternoon, and he decided he was big
enough to go to the bathroom without anyone’s help. He unknowingly locked the
door behind him, and couldn’t unlock it when it was time to leave.
He started to panic,
and called for help. His dad had to come in through the bathroom window and
unlock the door from the inside.
“Thanks, Dad,” the
boy said. And he ran out to play.
Now a lot of people
today see God like the father in that story. We get in trouble, He comes in,
bails us out, and sends us on our way. But what happens when God doesn’t unlock
the door? What happens when our friends betray us, our finances take a
nosedive, or our health worsens?
When we’re locked in
that dark room, God still climbs in. But instead of quickly unlocking the door,
He sits with us because spending time with Him is more important than quickly
getting on with our lives.
So instead of
praying, “Get me outta here!” when hard times hit,
ask God to sit with you and show you something even greater than a quick fix –
His presence.
Prayer
Challenge:
Pray and ask God to
show you His presence in the midst of your trials.
Questions for
Thought:
Why do you think
people typically choose a quick fix instead of searching for God in their
trials?
How do you think
your attitude toward hard times might change if you focused on finding God’s
presence?